Cracked Floor Tile Causes

In areas with cold winters porous tiles like terracotta contract at freezing temperatures and then expand during mild spells eventually leading to cracking.

Cracked floor tile causes.

Tiles provide a durable covering for floors walls and backsplashes. In far more instances the crack was caused by anomalies under or around the tile. In many cases the crack is not the result of an inferior tile. Sometimes hairline cracks in tile floors are one of the first tell tale indications that soil or moisture is affecting a foundation.

In many cases cracked tile floors are signs of foundation issues it s possible that soil movement or water has caused your foundation to shift move or even be pushed in an upward direction. To discover the cause of your tile s crack you ll need to carefully inspect the crack s size and pattern. Ceramic tiles should not crack under normal usage and when they do it is almost always due to improper subfloor conditions or improper installation. Concrete substrate did not cure.

This is known as reflective cracking and often causes multiple tiles to crack. If you notice a crack that extends across multiple tiles this is a sign that the concrete underneath has cracked. If the tiles are on your patio a common cause for cracking is the freeze thaw cycle. When tile is bonded directly to concrete and that concrete happens to crack so can the tile layer above.

If you have ceramic glazed tile and cracks here is an easy fix. Cracks in concrete substrate. While most types of tile can handle a lot of abuse they are not indestructible and hairline cracks may occur. To prevent cracks from forming in the first place we recommend you ask your contractor to install a crack isolation membrane during tile flooring installation.

Natural circumstances such as moisture penetration pressure changes or aging can also cause cracks. Cracked floor tiles aren t cause for immediate panic. Although cracks sometimes indicate serious structural issues they re often a symptom of superficial damage.